


In Two Minds

by Blue Eyes Black Dragon (OperaGoose)



Series: True Love's Kiss [3]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Angst, M/M, Miscommunication, More angst, Mutual Pining, Mutually Unrequited, Spells & Enchantments, True Love's Kiss
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-14
Updated: 2016-04-11
Packaged: 2018-05-26 14:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6243250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OperaGoose/pseuds/Blue%20Eyes%20Black%20Dragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The curse has been splintered, but not broken. Our heroes are still trapped in the Fairy Tale world. They must work together to find Yuugi and break the curse to send themselves home. But with two sets of memories and feelings in the mix, the road will not be easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter

Kaiba had extended the protection of the panic room to a small courtyard out the front of the tree. The concealment was clearly broken because Mai looked at him surprised when she came into the clearing just after sunset on the day after Kaiba came back. 

He was sitting on the tiles, back pressed up against bark of the tree. The doorway was a gaping hole, so he was turned on an angle to sit comfortably. 

Mai approached, knocking on the lightly shimmering force field around the courtyard. Joey tipped his head back, looking through the doorway. Kaiba and Mokuba were still sat at the dining table, serious expressions spread over their faces as Kaiba spoke in a low, unintelligible voice. “Mai’s here!” 

Kaiba held up a hand and the shield opened to let Mai through. As soon as she put a foot beyond the tiles, her clothes changed. She stood just inside, dressed in the same bikini and semi-transparent long shirt she had been wearing at Kaiba Inn half a year ago... 

He smiled weakly. “Hey, Mai.” 

“Hey, Joey,” she greeted, taking a seat next to him. “How are you feeling?” 

He shrugged, resting his head back against the tree. “About the same,” he replied vaguely. 

“You didn’t say how that was in the first place,” she said, giving him a concerned smile. 

He sighed. “I don’t really know right now, Mai. I’m confused,” he admitted. 

She nodded and didn’t press him to talk. He liked that about her, during the days where they were still dating. But that lack of communication soon became the main part of the reason their relationship had dissolved in the first place. 

“So, what happened to you guys last night? I was on the other side of the forest when it happened.” 

“Kaiba was here when the spell broke. Or didn’t break. We’re not exactly sure what went down.” He sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his eyes. 

“Kaiba was here?” She asked, surprised. “In the clearing.” Joey jerked his thumb towards the interior of the tree. Her eyes went wide with surprise. “ _Inside_? Explain. Now.” 

He did. He admitted the deal he had with Kaiba, his purposefully vague answer, and the revenge Kaiba tried to enact against him. 

Mai exhaled heavily, sitting back to lean on her hands. “At least he remembered just in time?” 

“Yeah,” he sighed heavily, rubbing his eyes again. “I don’t think Set could recover from killing Mokuba.” 

“Set?” She repeated, unplucked eyebrows arching judgementally. 

“Fuck, Kaiba. Sorry,” he dropped his hand down to his lap. “Habit. Set’s his fairy tale name.” 

“King Set of Kaiba,” she deadpanned. “You were on first name basis with the king of the west.” 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he resisted. “What about you? Was it just your memories or are you still...?” 

“Feathered?” She asked, smiling at him indulgently. He nodded. She nodded, reaching to push her hair behind her back. “Same rule applies I guess. True Love’s Kiss.” 

“Bakura has a cruel sense of humour,” he sighed. “Should I try...?” 

She shook her head, smiling. “I think we’ve both know it’s been a while since that’d work.” 

He sighed. “Shows how observant Bakura is,” he mumbled. “Considering he specifically designed our characters-” 

“To be Ladyhawke, yes,” Mai commented, “I’ve seen it.” 

“Serenity loves that movie,” Joey said, sighing deeply. “I should find her. I know where most of the others are.” 

Her expression settled into a very familiar look. He’d seen it a few times before, he knew what it meant. This was the look she wore when she had decided to talk about something she really didn’t want to. “Joey...” 

“Uh-oh.” 

“I have a hope about my curse,” she admitted quietly. “But I’m not sure how you’ll react.” 

Joey hesitated. Mokuba’s words washed over him and he sighed a little. “Be straight with me. Is it Serenity?” 

She looked surprised. “I didn’t expect you to guess,” she murmured. 

“I didn’t come to the conclusion on my own,” he admitted. “And someone owes his brother some shares of Kaiba corp.” 

Mai arched her eyebrows again. “Should I ask?” 

He shook his head, his amused smile falling away. “Take care of her,” he said quietly. “If you break her heart I’ll have to hunt you down.” 

She laughed, her hair bouncing with the movement. The humour only lasted a few moments, and then she watched him quietly. “Do I have to hunt down a certain CEO?” She murmured quietly. 

He sighed heavily. Slipping his eyes away from her concerned expression. “Nah,” he dismissed. “It’s not his fault. He wasn’t himself.” 

She hummed flatly. “I’m not sure that’s how it works, Joey. When I was under the curse... I still acted like myself. A little different, but I was still essentially the same person. Just without the history.” 

“It’s the history that makes the difference between them,” he mumbled, feeling the truth like an ache in his chest. 

“Joey?” She asked gently. 

He shook his head again. “I don’t want to talk about it,” he repeated. “I can’t... I don’t know yet.” 

She just nodded. “When you do want to talk...” she offered tentatively. 

“I’ll find some way to get to you.” 

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments, before she got to her feet. “Come on. I caught you some meat for dinner.” 

“So?” He asked in confusion, getting to his feet. 

“It... disappears a bit,” she said, smiling, “once it crosses the barrier. Mokuba said something about molecular instability. I didn’t really understand.” 

“He came out of the shelter?” Joey growled. He’d warned Mokuba to _stay inside_ if he ever disappeared. 

“The kid can’t survive on rice for three months,” Mai replied, rolling her eyes. “I made sure he was safe.” 

He sighed, letting her lead the way to a fire a few metres into the tree line, some kind of chicken or bird hanging over the fire. He sat down, coughing a little at the smoke. “Isn’t this kinda like cannibalism to you?” He asked, gesturing at the rotisserie. 

She huffed, amused. “Hawks are birds of prey, Joey. How do you think I got so good at catching birds in the first place?” 

He cringed a little. “I don’t want to think about that,” he answered honestly. 

She laughed. “Baby.” Taking a knife from her boot, she cut open the bird to check the colour of the meat inside. Satisfied, she unhooked the spit and brought it over to him. She paused slightly. “You okay?” 

“Hm?” Joey asked, snapping out of his daze to look at her. 

“You seem...off,” she commented, frowning as she handed him the spit. “Are you worried about being outside?” 

“I...” His breath seemed tight. “I think it’s just the smoke from the fire.” He coughed again, trying to clear his throat. 

“Maybe we should--?” 

“What are you two doing out here?” 

Joey whirled around, watching as Kaiba stomped over, deftly stepping over a couple of raised roots. He took a deep breath staring at him. The worried, frustrated tone, the elaborately sewn fairytale prince clothes. It was as if King Set had come to scold him for... 

He forced away the thought. He turned away and took a large bite out of the...chicken. He was just going to tell himself it was chicken. 

“Joey looked like he could do with a good meal,” Mai answered the CEO, folding her arms over the thinnest part of her corset. “Rice isn’t exactly a vitamin rich diet, Kaiba.” 

“The panic room was not intended as a long-term solution,” Kaiba barked at her. He turned a glare to Joey, who silently picked at the chicken carcass. “Go back inside,” he commanded. 

“He doesn’t have to listen to you, Kaiba! You’re not actually a king.” 

Joey snorted. “Like I listened to him when he thought he was, anyway.” 

“Jou threw a knife at the high king--” He paused, his expression flickering through something pained and irritated for a moment. He cleared his throat, face falling into a cold, blank mask. “Wheeler stabbed Bakura, who I will remind you, is the most powerful black magician in this fantasy world.” He turned back to Joey, expression hard. “You are still under my protection. Doubly so for what you’ve done for Mokuba and I.” 

“I can fight for myself,” Joey muttered, clenching his fists tightly. 

“I never called your aptitude in a hand-to-hand fight into question, Joseph Wheeler,” Kaiba snapped, sounding half-himself and half his royal character. He clenched his jaw and took a deep breath, as if reining the king’s thoughts into line. “Bakura has black magic, the most dangerous and destructive force in this universe. You could be killed before you even had time to grab a weapon.” 

“I’ll go check on the kid,” Mai commented, quickly hurrying away from the fireside. 

Joey tossed the stripped bones into the fire. “I can’t just stay trapped in your magical fence of protection forever, Kaiba.” He got to his feet, keeping his breath deep and even. “I’m not some pet dog you can chain to a post and expect to be content.” 

“The dog allusion is more than a little outdated now, Wheeler,” Kaiba deadpanned. “Besides which, anybody who leaves their dogs chained up all day deserves to be reported to the ASPCA.” 

“It’s a metaphor, you potato with eyes,” Joey muttered, kicking a twig back into the main blaze. 

Kaiba sighed heavily, hands tugging at the hem of his jacket and pulled it back into place. “Perhaps one day we will have matured enough to move beyond petty insults.” 

“The last time _we_ actually saw each other you called me a dog!” Joey snapped, infuriated. 

Kaiba frowned slightly. “When did...” Further concentration. “At... at the pool? Six months ago?” 

“That’s the last time we met, yeah,” he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “You called me a dog and said something about not being allowed a driver’s license.” 

“We’ve seen each other since then, I kidnapped you and held you as my prisoner. You can’t have forgotten that.” 

“That was Set,” he snappeed, angry. “Not you.” 

“Wheeler, that’s me. I was the king,” Kaiba deadpanned. 

“You’re not!” Joey shouted, feeling his temper break. “He’s not you and you _are not_ him.” 

Kaiba stared at him silently for a few moments. “I see,” he said quietly. He turned away, straightening his posture and raising his head with a deep breath. “Please come inside. The shelter is the best protection I can offer you.” 

He walked away. He couldn’t tell if the silent nobility was Kaiba or his king. 

* * *

“You two need to talk to each other,” Mokuba hissed. 

Seto sighed, giving him a tired look. “Mokuba we’ve already tried talking. It didn’t go very well.” 

“Seto, you _love him_ ,” his younger brother sighed, glaring at him. 

“I don’t know about that,” he denied. “Regardless of that, Jou has made himself repeatedly clear about his refusal.” 

“You did it again,” Mokuba teased. “You call him Jou when you’re thinking about him like that.” 

“King Set’s fault,” he dismissed impatiently. “It’s hard having conflicting memories in your head, Mokuba. I’m starting to wonder how Yugi survived with the pharaoh in his head for years.” 

“You’re changing the subject,” his brother complained. 

“No, _you_ are changing the subject,” he snapped. “I was asking for your opinion on my plans for confronting Bakura.” 

“And _I_ told you to ask Joey because he has more info on the fairy tale world than I do,” Mokuba reminded him. “And you got that kicked-puppy look that you get every time someone says his name or he comes in the room. You need to _talk_ to him, Seto.” 

“What do you want me to do, Mokuba?” Kaiba snapped, his temper pushed to its limits. “Last time he rejected me I cast a spell to suffocate my emotions so I didn’t have to deal with them anymore.” 

“Why does that sound familiar?” Mokuba muttered sullenly. 

“Watch it,” he warned. “I was so angry and hurt, Mokuba, that I _tried to kill you_. If you think I’m going to risk that happening again then you’re being irrational.” 

“You’re not going to go crazy just for talking to him,” Mokuba said, rolling his eyes. 

“I _might_ ,” Seto replied, glaring at the maps he’d sketched on the tabletop. 

“Seto, you’re twenty years old,” Mokuba said, rolling his eyes. “You should be able to have a conversation with someone about your mushy gay feelings without ending in a fratricidal rage.” 

“Not gay,” he deadpanned. 

“Bi, pan, whatever.” Mokuba said, waving his hand dismissively. “How did you get engaged when you can’t even talk about this stuff?” 

“If you’ll remember, Mokuba,” he said, irritated, “she was only dating me for corporate espionage and when that failed she tried to kidnap you.” 

“Joey was with me, it worked out fine.” 

“He was in hospital for two weeks,” he reminded his younger brother. “I think we can safely shelve that as an example of my best relationship.” 

“Seto,” Mokuba said carefully. “It’s not going to be like that with Joey, you know? He cares about me. He cares about _you_.” 

He shook his head. “I’m not sure he does, Mokie.” 

“I’ll leave it for now, Seto,” Mokuba said. “But you better talk to him when we get back to the real world.” 

“Or what?” He demanded. 

“Or I’ll take my majority share of Kaiba Corp and usurp your position as president,” Mokuba replied. “You owe me five shares for Joey being non-hetero, ten shares for Tristan and Duke, and five shares for Mai and Serenity. That makes me five shares more than you.” 

Seto sighed in mock-irritation. “Fine. I’ll talk to him. Once all this curse crap is dealt with.” 

Mokuba nodded. “Good.” He leaned over to look at the map. “So what’s the plan?” 

“It’s nearly sunset. Mai should be back from her search soon. I’ll tell everyone then.” 

His younger brother nodded. “I’ll leave you to your maps. I’m going to check up on Joey.” 

Seto nodded and let him go. Once he was out of the room, he fell silent and rested his head in his hands. “Damn it.” 

He needed to concentrate and Mokuba bringing up the one thing he’d rather forget was not helping his focus. He took a deep breath and tried to rely on old methods on forcing down his emotions. He could still remember the crisp clarity of his thoughts under the spell; allowed himself to yearn for it for a few moments. But he’d promised Mokuba he wouldn’t go back to that again. 

He set aside the stub of a pencil, bringing the tablet closer instead. The mapwork was not a sufficient occupation for his mind. Instead he opened the programming function and flicked through until he found the schematics from his smart phone prototype. He flicked through until he found the right section and steepled his fingers, staring at it as he let his mind flick over. 

Magic was not unlike programming, but on a quantum level. The manipulation of molecules could be likened to the tick of binary within the confines of the computer hardware. It was only translating the concepts to a different format. 

If he could figure this out, then he’d have something to present to them when he proposed his plan. Maybe then he wouldn’t feel like he’d failed at his intended mission to protect Mokuba. 

Sure, his brother was free of the effects of Bakura’s curse--he didn’t have to battle with his mind between two jarring personalities. But Mokuba was still here, still couldn’t leave the panic room lest he become a target of Bakura’s black magic. 

And Jou... 

Joey. 

“Wheeler,” he muttered forcefully. 

“For god’s sake, I’ve been inside for one second--I’m sorry I broke your concentration.” 

Seto carefully controlled the wince. Instead, he set down the tablet and turned to look at the blond standing just inside the doorway. “There is nothing to be done about it now. Would you ask anything of me?” 

Joey frowned at him. He realised after the fact that he’d used too much of King Set’s mannerism for the other man to be comfortable. 

He cleared his throat. “What do you want?” 

“Nothing, Kaiba,” Joey snapped. “Just get back to your super important staring at a tablet doing nothing.” 

“I am working on something,” Seto answered tiredly. “I’ll get to the answer. If I could keep my mind on track long enough to focus.” 

“Mai said she struggles with the two people in her head,” Joey said carefully. “Something like that?” 

Seto hummed in acknowledgement. “Sort of,” he explained. “It’s not like two people. It’s more like...” He paused. Joey had his two characters firmly separate in his head. “Two sets of memories; they contribute two different solutions to the problems. Amalgamating the two into my own thoughts is difficult.” He turned back to the tablet. “Especially when one side of me doesn’t want to be focussing on this at all.” 

Joey frowned a little, clearly not quite understanding Seto’s meaning. “Okay...” He went to the kitchen and poured out a few cups of rice into the electronic rice cooker. “Mokuba’s keeping an eye out for Mai. The sun should be setting in the hour.” 

“Has she had any luck?” Silence. He turned towards the kitchen, studying Joey. “With finding your sister.” 

“She’s been asking around during the errands you’ve sent her on,” he replied. “Who knows? She was visiting Duke today. If anyone would know where she was, trust it to be those two.” 

He looked back at his tablet. If he could figure out the right composition, he could help Mai find Serenity and let Joey’s mind ease. 

“If that doesn’t work, she said she’s going to track down someone who has a magic mirror,” Joey continued. 

Seto blinked. He yanked his head back around to Joey. “Jou. Repeat that.” 

Joey looked over his shoulder, frowning slightly. “She’ll track down a magic mirror?” 

He got quickly to his feet. Heading into the bathroom, he pried off the shaving mirror from the wall and took it outside the panic room. 

“Kaiba!” Joey snapped, following after him. “What the hell are you doing?” 

“A moment, please, Jou. I need to gather my utmost focus to concentrate on this enchantment,” Set answered, kneeling on the soft detritus and laying down the mirror in a patch of fading sunlight. 

“Set?” Jou asked, unsure. 

“Quiet, if you would, Joseph Wheeler,” he continued. “I’ve never attempted a magic such as this. You are too easily on my thoughts as it is. You may have my full attention once the spell has been cast.” 

Jou stayed silent, to his gratitude. He closed his eyes, settling the tips of his fingers on the mirror. His mind was diverted; one half running through codes for webcam video chat, the other recalling lessons of magic and what readings he’d done on magic mirrors. 

The enchantment stretched out like code that wrote itself and he sat back, opening his eyes. He picked up the mirror and passed it back to Jou. “Call for your sister, speak her name,” he commanded. 

Jou gave him an unsure left and held up the mirror. “Serenity. Serenity Wheeler?” 

Set felt the tug in his mind a bare moment before Jou gasped in surprise. “Serenity! Serenity, it’s Joey!” 

“Joey?” She asked, her voice tight with some unknown emotion. “Where are you...?” 

“Kaiba made a magic mirror or something...” He darted his eyes quickly to where Seto stood, silently observing. “Where are you?” 

“I.... A lake, I think. I’m not quite sure...” 

“Serenity? Are you alright? You sound.... Can’t you see me?” 

“Joey, I’m blind,” she whimpered. “And... and...” There was a slight wet noise, as if rippling water washed in front of the camera. 

Joey hissed angrily. “A blind mermaid,” he said, “Bakura sure had a sick sense of humour.” 

“I’m scared,” the soft voice admitted. 

“It’s alright. It’s okay to be scared, Serenity.” He took a deep breath. “We’ve been looking for you.” He bit his lip. “Tomorrow night. We’ll find where you are tonight. Then tomorrow... Mai will be there for you tomorrow.” 

“Mai?” Serenity asked in a quiet voice. “Is she okay?” 

“You can ask her yourself tomorrow. Do you want me to stay on the line with you?” 

“N-no, it’s okay. I can be strong. I’ll see you soon, big brother.” 

After they’d made their goodbyes, Kaiba prodded the code to initiate the hang up. Joey’s arms dropped heavily, the shaving mirror held in one hand. “Thanks.” 

“So where was she?” Mokuba asked, standing in the doorway of the tree. 

“A... a lake,” Joey replied helpfully. 

“There is not many lakes on the island,” Set reassured the fretful blond. “Come with me to the map, we shall endeavour to narrow down Lady May’s search.” 

Mokuba looked between them, a frown on his face. “I’ll... wait here for her,” he declared. “I’ll send her in when she arrives.” 

“My gratitude, brother,” he said, giving a polite bow of his head. “Shall we look, Jou?” 

The blond silently led the way inside the tree shelter. He felt his cloak and formal clothes melt away to the other world’s style. He headed immediately over to the table, picking up the graphite tube and perusing the landscape. 

“Here,” he tapped the first lake with a pencil, “this is the largest. I don’t suppose you heard a waterfall?” 

“No,” Jou said, coming to stand beside him. 

“Then it’s not likely either of these two. Which leaves the handful here, and the small spirit’s pond under the High King’s castle.” He stood, straightening the shirt around his trousers. “Perhaps when Lady May returns she’ll have knowledge of any rumours about a mermaid in a lake.” 

“King Set?” The blond said tentatively. 

The king turned to him, smiling patiently. “Yes, Joseph Wheeler?” 

White teeth bit into the soft pink bottom lip. After a moment, it released. “You said I could have your full attention.” 

“That I did,” he agreed. “So you shall have it.” 

Jou seemed to flounder under the idea. A few attempts at speaking, then he finally said: “why did you pull away from me? After the summer festival.” 

Set hesitated. “Please don’t take this a censure of yourself, Jou,” he began carefully. “It was because your continuing rejection was too difficult to bear. I cast a spell that smothered my emotions. I am sorry now that it caused you undue pain--but I couldn’t be then. I hope you understand.” 

“I didn’t...” Jou trailed off mid-sentence. 

“You didn’t reject me?” He asked, smiling gently. “You did,” he murmured, “it is not your fault that I found it difficult to remember that.” 

“Am I not allowed to change my mind?” Jou demanded, sounding angry. 

Seto blinked, turning over the phrase in his mind. Of course Joey had the right to change his mind of course, but he found it strange. Nobody had changed their mind from not wanting to date him, to deciding they did. There had been plenty the other way around. He was a hard man to date. 

He was CEO of an international corporation as well as head of research and development--it hardly left much time for a personal life; his partners had quickly gotten sick of coming second to Mokuba as a priority. Some of the more persistent gold-diggers had stuck around for longer, but eventually they’d all left. The closest he’d ever gotten to dumping someone himself was probably getting his ex-fiancée arrested for fraud and insider trading, attempted kidnapping and assault. 

You think he’d be used to getting rejected at this stage. But... because of the curse, he’d been unable to prevent himself from developing deeper feelings for Joey. And now... it hurt. 

“Yeah, Joey. You can.” 

His face screwed up in anger. “Kaiba.” 

“Wheeler,” he deadpanned. If Joey was going to be on last name basis with him, then he was going to return the favour. 

“I was talking to Set,” Joey snapped. 

Seto raised his eyebrows. “We’re not different people, Joey. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can get some peace of mind.” 

“You’re not the same,” Joey argued, “he treats me different.” 

“Did he always?” He challenged, raising an eyebrow at the blond. 

Before Joey could reply, Mokuba and Mai stepped inside. He nodded at them. “Joey has some news for you. Then we can discuss my ideas.” 


	2. Chapter II

Joey woke up in the middle of the night, not sure what had pulled him from his sleep. Trying not to jostle the bunks too much and wake up Mokuba as well, he climbed down from his bed. Mokuba mumbled something in his sleep and turned over, but didn’t wake. 

He headed into the bathroom, closing the toilet lid afterward to dull the noise of the flush. He washed his hands, staring at the blank space on the wall as if the mirror was there. 

He’d given Serenity and Mai some privacy for their first night together, but he was desperate to know if they were okay. He’d try and check in on them just before dawn tomorrow. 

Rubbing his face tiredly and cringing a little at his damp hands, he headed back out to the main room. His eyes fell on the long stretcher-like bed Kaiba was using. He’d offered to sleep on it, give the brothers the bunks, but both of them had been subtly insistent that Kaiba be the one to take it. 

He silently watched the sleeping brunet for a while. He was laid straight out on his back, of course he didn’t snore, the dickhead. His face was pulled up into a frown, even when he was asleep. 

Joey leaned against the wall to watch him while he thought. Last night, Kaiba had said something. Joey hadn’t been able to address it at the time, they’d all got caught up in plans for Bakura. But now that he had a longer than moment to himself… 

_Had they always treated him so different?_

When Kaiba had first come to the school he’d seemed... cold. Occupied. No time to deal with anyone in the class. That hadn’t really changed until the whole incident with Grandpa Mutou’s blue eyes. 

King Set had.... choked him into unconsciousness, threatened Mokuba to force him to obey, and locked him in wardrobes to sleep. So what had changed? 

There was a rough groan and a small whimper. Joey broke out of his thoughts, glancing his head around to Mokuba. The kid wasn’t moving, still curled up on his bed. 

The whimper repeated, accompanied next by rough breathing. Confused, he turned his head back to the stretcher. Kaiba’s whole body was tensed up, vicious frown on his face. Behind his eyelids, his eyes darted rapidly back and forth. “N-” he groaned. “No...” 

Joey raised his eyebrows in surprise. It was such a human moment, something he never expected to see from Kaiba. 

“Stop,” Kaiba mumbled, thrashing his head to the side. “Don’t...” 

He darted another look at Mokuba, who seemed undisturbed. Did he know? Were nightmares ever a thing for Seto or was this something from King Set? 

He stepped closer tentatively. 

Kaiba gave a short yell, vaulting into an upright position. His eyes darted frantically around the room, landing on Mokuba and slowly calming. His posture was still tense, but his breathing gradually began to slow. 

“You...” Joey paused, watching Kaiba flinch and yank his head around until blue eyes found his place against the wall. “You okay?” 

Kaiba gave a tired nod. “Did I wake you?” He asked, his voice rough with sleep. 

“I don’t think so,” he answered. “I had to use the bathroom.” 

Kaiba nodded, and slid his legs off the side of the bed. “You should go back to sleep,” he commented. 

“So should you,” he replied, scowling. 

Kaiba shook his head. “I won’t be able to. I’m going to work on... something.” He stood up, heading over to the table. 

Joey glanced back at the bunk bed. He could go to sleep, of course. He certainly felt tired enough to drop back off quickly. Turning his head back, he watched Kaiba as the CEO turned on Mokuba’s tablet and stared at it. 

Sighing, he crossed over and pulled out the other chair, sitting across from him. Kaiba briefly looked up at him, raising his eyebrows in surprise, but soon dropped his eyes back down. The screen was filled with green digits slowly scrolling upwards. 

“How long have you been having nightmares?” 

The eldest Kaiba gave him an irritated look. Joey shrugged, unapologetic. He was curious; and interested in finding out more about the life of someone who had been so important to him in the last couple of years. 

Kaiba dropped his eyes back down to the tablet, eyebrows pulling together in a frown. Just as Joey was giving up on getting an answer and deciding to go back to bed, the low voice said: “since I was a kid. When...” He paused, shoulders tensing as he braced against his thoughts. “After the orphanage.” 

Joey wanted to know more, but he didn’t want to chase Kaiba away by asking about a thing that clearly bothered him a lot. Instead, he rested his elbows on a clear patch of table and leant his head on his hands. “What are you working on?” 

“I’m looking over some program schematics,” Kaiba answered, watching him warily. “I used them to program the magic mirror with magic to make it work like a video chat function.” 

“Like the facechat functions for the KaibaPhone?” He asked. He snorted at the surprised look he got in return. “I sell your hardware for a living, Kaiba. I’m not a total dunce when it comes to your tech.” 

“Well, _Wheeler_ ,” the CEO answered tiredly, “the programming data for one of the first prototypes is on here-” he tapped the edge of the tablet, not interrupting the screen, “I’m hoping it will grant me some inspiration.” 

“Inspiration for what?” Joey asked, confused. “Like, mini-mirrors people can use to contact us? So Mai doesn’t have to wait for us to call her if something happens.” 

The look on Kaiba’s face made it obvious that the idea had not yet occurred to him. “I’ll focus on that,” he agreed, nodding. “I hadn’t thought of it.” 

Joey shook his head. Kaiba wasn’t the type to think about people needing to contact him at their own pace. “Glad I could help?” He said uncertainly. 

Kaiba nodded. He sat back, steepling his fingers and settling in to think. After a moment, his eyes cleared. “I’ll need to go to my palace to collect some materials.” 

“Mokuba’s going to want to come with you,” Joey pointed out. 

“He will,” the older Kaiba said with a sigh. He placed a thumb and forefinger on either side of his eyebrows and messaged them inward. He remembered seeing that gesture before. 

“Do you get headaches often?” 

Kaiba chuckled a little. “Yeah,” he replied. “Mokuba says my brain gets too much of a workout.” 

“Stress headaches,” Joey said, nodding. 

“Serenity used to get them, during her final exams,” Kaiba said. A smile flickered over his lips. “I remember.” 

Joey almost asked _how_ he remembered, but then he thought about it. He’d told King Set that. He frowned a little, reaching up a hand to rub his eyes. He glanced out the open door, finding the patch of sky he could see. “It’ll be dawn soon,” he said. 

“You should contact Mai before dawn,” Kaiba said. “Just in case she hasn’t managed to break the curse yet.” 

Joey gave a surprised laugh. At Kaiba’s confused look, he explained, “I had the same thought.” 

Kaiba smiled slightly. Standing, he crossed the room to the kitchen, picking up the magic mirror from where it had been abandoned and handing it to Joey. He touched his fingertips to the surface and it glowed blue for a moment. He nodded. “You can call now.” 

“Mai Valentine,” he said to the mirror. 

There was a pause, and then he was looking up at a star-filled sky. “Mai?” He called. “Mai are you there?” 

“Joey?” Her voice reached him. 

“Is it him?” Serenity’s voice followed, sounding a little closer. “Big brother?” 

“Hey sis,” he greeted. “Where are you guys? I can’t see you. All I’ve got is stars.” 

After a moment, a pair of familiar faces appeared. “Oh!” Mai said, smiling. “You’re in the lake.” 

“You doing okay?” He asked, relieved to see them both. Serenity was clutching to Mai like a lifeline, her hazel eyes dull and unfocused. 

“We’re waiting until sunrise,” Mai said, her voice pointed, “but we’re pretty sure I won’t be a hawk again.” 

“Aaaand that’s as much information as I need,” Joey said, wrinkling his face up a little in disgust. “It’s going to be a long journey back here now, isn’t it?” Mai nodded. Joey glanced over the mirror at Kaiba, who was concentrating on his tablet. “Kaiba’s heading to his mountain castle soon,” he explained. “Mokuba and I will stay here, more than likely. It’ll be closer for you to get there.” 

“How will we keep in contact?” Serenity asked, concerned. 

“It seems like the magic mirror works on reflective surfaces,” Kaiba commented, not looking up from his tablet; and giving away the fact that he’d been eavesdropping. “If they can’t get their hands on a mirror, stick to waterways.” 

“I’ll talk to you regularly,” Joey promised. “Twice a day.” 

“What if there’s an emergency?” Serenity asked, anxious. 

“Kaiba’s working on a solution,” he explained. “But there’s nothing we can do about it for now.” 

Joey wound down their conversation, saying goodbye, and setting down the mirror. “We need to contact everyone else,” he realised, reaching up to rub his eyes. They felt tired, stinging with being kept open for too long. “Yami, Yugi, Ryou, he’s probably here too, check for Isis and the other Ishtars.” 

Kaiba nodded. “You and Mokuba can take care of that while I’m away,” he said. 

Joey closed his eyes, resting his head on one hand again. “Mm,” he agreed. “We will.” 

“Joey?” Kaiba asked, his voice low and gentle. 

“Mm?” He asked, shifting his head slightly. “Yeah?” 

“Nothing...” 

Joey slipped closer to sleep. Just as he settled on the edge, too close to bother stirring, he felt an arm touch his shoulder. “Jou?” He smiled a little--Set--but couldn’t push away the sleep well enough to react. 

Warm arms slipped under his knees and around his shoulders. He was lifted carefully from the seat, turning his face and nuzzling into the warm shoulder. He carried a few steps away and gently laid down on a stiff mattress. 

“Sleep well, Jou.” 

* * *

“Seto, you’re not going without me!” Mokuba shouted. 

“Mokuba,” he replied, frowning at his younger brother. “That is not up for discussion. This shelter is your best protection.” 

“I want to go with you!” the teen continued, “last time you left me here, you disappeared for six months.” 

“It’s not going to be like that, Mokie, I promise,” he soothed. 

“Don’t try and ply me with a cute nickname!” Mokuba yelled. “It’s not going to get me to agree any quicker!” 

“Mokuba, I need you here. You’re going to be, like... headquarters. Joey wants to contact the others,” he explained, “you need to be here to help direct them here, and be able to let them in the barrier.” 

“Why can’t we make the castle headquarters?” Mokuba asked. “That way we can all go with you.” 

“It’s not a viable location,” he answered. “There aren’t the same kinds of protection that we have here. In addition, there’s an uncounted number of servants and courtiers who could be a spy for Bakura, or possibly be Bakura under some kind of enchantment.” 

“You could move the protection to a room in your castle,” Mokuba suggested eagerly. 

“I’m not too sure,” he answered. “Magic isn’t as easily transferred like programming. Magic is very unyielding. Once it’s cast it can only be modified so much.” 

“But they can be broken,” Joey mumbled, shifting on the stretcher bed. He opened his eyes, frowning slightly as they looked around to figure out his location in the room. He sat up slightly, then his face bloomed red with a blush. 

Seto fought with the smile that wanted to take over. “Curses can be broken, hexes can be lifted, enchantments wear off and spells can be unworked.” He tapped his fingers on the tabletop, incidentally over the southern marshes. “I don’t know if I can reverse engineer the spell. It’s not like the programs and engineering I built into the panic room.” 

“What’s going on?” Joey asked tiredly, sliding his feet out from the blanket and onto the floor. “Why are you talking about the spell around the shelter?” 

“Mokuba wants to come with me to the castle,” he answered. “I’ve been trying to tell him that it’s safer to stay here under the protection.” 

“You could protect him,” Joey said, shrugging. 

Seto glared at him as Mokuba gave a victorious cry. “I want you to stay here, both of you. This is the best location for headquarters. Mokuba will need to be here to let people through the barrier.” 

“He’s got a point, kiddo,” the blond pointed out, switching sides of the argument. “We can get stuff done while your brother sorts out his shit.” 

Mokuba sulked, folding his arms. “Fine,” he muttered. “Why does anyone care what I think anyway?” 

“Mokuba...” Seto said, upset. “That’s not what this is about.” 

His brother just gave him an angry look that he hadn’t seen in a while. “Just _leave,_ Seto. It’s obviously what you want.” 

He ignored the stab of pain the words caused, Mokuba was in no mood to be sympathetic. “I don’t want to be separated from you again, Mokuba. But I have to accept the reality that for now it’s the best hope for your survival.” 

Joey sat next to Mokuba on the lower bunk. “Listen, kid. Bakura’s got some serious power right now. Not to mention he’s probably furious about the curse screwing up on him. We’ve got to get a task force together to go confront him. You gotta help me get in contact with them. Kaiba can go tinker with his spells in the castle, we’ll do the important work.” 

Mokuba was still sullen, but he seemed more willing to help Joey. Seto ignored the spike of jealousy. “I’ll only be gone a week, maybe two if Mai and Serenity’s journey is slow. Can you take care of things here for me?” 

“I guess,” Mokuba replied, in the normal tones of a put-upon teenager. “Bring me back something cool from the palace.” 

Seto chuckled. “I’m sure I can come up with something.” 


	3. Chapter III

The gang was not easy to round up. Tristan and Duke agreed readily, promising they knew the clearing and that they’d begin their journey quickly. Téa had discussed the situation with Seto and had apparently decided that she’d do the running of the kingdom in his absence. She would also keep Serenity with her, keep her safe from anything that might happen. Mai was reluctant to be separated from her True Love, but agreed she’d come back with Kaiba. Ryou seemed confused at their remembering at all, but had cautiously agreed to make his way to the forest. 

Yugi was a mystery. Calling him had only shown a lonely room with a dollhouse gathering dust on a table. Joey had an itching suspicion, but didn’t voice it aloud. Instead, he and Mokuba agreed to try again later, avoiding each other’s eyes. 

Yami seemed too relieved to see him, something like the insanity of his early days gleaming in his eyes. He said he would make the journey, but the likelihood was that he would run out of supplies by the time he left the desert. He would take a camel and what supplies he could, but Joey agreed to organize someone to meet him on the other side of the cliffs edging the desert. 

Tristan and Duke came the next day, but needed to rest. In the end, Joey left a note for Mokuba and slunk out of the shelter. It was cold in the autumn air, misty breath tight in his lungs. Still, he persevered. 

On the main road he met a farmer and his wagon who happily agreed to take Joey as far south as he was going. He curled up among the hay bales and fell asleep. He must have inhaled a lot of dust, because when he woke up he was coughing. 

The farmer left him by a lake underneath Bakura’s huge floating palace. He picked up a rock to throw at the underside of the base, childish though it was. It stopped only a few metres high and dropped back down to plop in the water, breath tense with his anger. 

He sat by the lake, filling up the leather water bottle tied on his belt. He missed his jeans and t-shirts, functional trainers or wandering around barefoot in the shelter. He wondered what had happened to his leather jacket. He’d had it when he was in King Set’s captivity, but couldn’t remember having it after he’d been given a little more freedom. 

It better not have been thrown out. It was the best thing he owned in the real world. He took a deep breath, trying to relax. He coughed a little, popping open the cork of his water bottle to take a drink and soothe his itchy throat. 

He wanted to chill by the lake, but he needed to get to Yami. He headed around to the other side bank. As long as he kept the floating castle behind him, he should be able to keep going in a southern direction. 

He pulled over, puffed. He glanced back, trying to find his way again. He frowned slightly--he thought he’d walked further than that. He was breathing hard like he’d been walking all morning. He took a seat on a rock, taking a drink again. 

His breathing seemed to get tighter. Shouldn’t he be catching his breath by now? Panic seemed to crawl through him as he tried to take a deep breath but couldn’t seem to get the air into his lungs. He dropped the bottle before he could cork it and it spilt everywhere. 

He couldn’t breathe... 

Scrambling slightly, he laid down to help open up his chest. He started coughing, trying to force himself not to panic. Calming himself down was not his strongest point, but he tried. 

The coughing started soon after. He tried to suffocate the cough down, but it conflicted with his struggle to take deep breaths. His eyes welled up, and he gasped through a cough. 

_Help me_ , he begged to anyone up there listening. His mind reached first for Kaiba--his magic was powerful and he’d figured out how to work a solution to his problem. 

He dropped his head to the side, coughing. He frowned, watching black smoke puff out of his mouth. No, not smoke... Shadow. 

“Bakura,” he growled. The roughness of the word aggravating his throat. He coughed again, more shadow than air coming from his mouth. 

He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling tears leaking out of the side. 

“Joey!” a familiar voice called. “Joey are you there?” 

Mokuba... 

He coughed painfully, watching the shadows crawl out of his mouth. He tried to take a deep a breath as he could manage. 

“Joey!” Mokuba shouted, panic crawling into his voice. “Joey what’s going on?” 

“I...can’t...breathe...” he choked out, inhaling as much as he could between each word. 

“Hold on!” the youngest Kaiba pleaded. “I’ll call Seto. He’ll help you. Just hold on...” 

The voice was strange and distorted, like he was far away or behind glass. He coughed and gasped, fighting to take deep breaths that were impossible. 

Before everything blacked out, he felt strong arms pulling him into an upright position and warm hands pressing to his chest. He sighed out thick, choking smoke and took a deep breath of fresh air into his lungs. He smiled weakly, tipping over into unconsciousness. “Kaiba...” 

// 

Malik re-wet the damp cloth and started wiping the skin of Joey’s face. Rishid watched him with careful attention, carefully turning over a few fish over the campfire. “Is he waking up?” He asked carefully. 

Malik shook his head, missing the weight of heavy gold earrings in his ears. “He’s probably exhausted, hopefully we got to him before he could get any oxygen deprivation side effects.” He nodded to himself. “His breathing is regular. We just have to wait and see.” 

They’d been walking up the river, heading towards the floating castle, when they’d heard the choking from across the field. They hadn’t even needed to check with each other, they’d just started running. Malik had recognised the shadow magic--he’d killed a disobedient ghoul or two by filling their lungs with shadows in his time. It had been a quick fix--Rishid had lifted him into an easier breathing position, and Malik had forced the shadows back out of his chest. 

He knew who the culprit had to be. There were a handful of people amongst the ring spirit’s vengeance list who could likely use black magic. With his memory intact, the Pharaoh was hardly the kind to curse one of his friends to such a slow, severe death; and he’d seen Kaiba and Joey together. The king couldn’t inflict a punishment like that on someone he loved. 

That only left the instigator of the very curse that had brought them all here under his mercy in the first place. 

He found himself struggling against the memories that tried to resurface. Rishid must have noticed the struggle, because he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. He reached up his own hand to gently squeeze, only dropping it back down to his busywork after his brother moved first. 

Joey did wake, just in time for the fish to be cooked. Malik almost laughed--it suited what he knew about the duellist from being inside his mind. He nodded to Rishid, who brought over one of the fish on an earthenware plate. 

The blond thanked them, then immediately dug into the food. Appetite was a good sign, he reassured himself. Bakura hadn’t killed anyone yet. 

He flinched. He’d been doing so well not to think his name. Not to try and humanise him. He was the villain in this tale, a moment of post-coital remorse did not change that fact. 

Rishid squeezed his hand, handing him one of the fish. “Eat,” he insisted gently. “Ease your mind.” 

Malik thanked him with a nod, pulling the flesh away from the weak skeleton of the fish. He didn’t like much to eat meat, but there was little else out here. Rolling hills of grass, dotted with occasional wildflowers. They’d had a sort of salad a few nights past, but it hadn’t agreed with either of them well. 

Once they’d rescued their sister from the spirit’s clutches, Malik could help himself to the food stores in the lowest part of the castle. There were plenty of lentils and vegetables that could serve them well. 

“So you guys are here too,” Joey said, picking off bits of fish with his teeth. 

The next few minutes were comparing their lists together. There were no real surprises, Bakura’s vengeance was easy to see coming. Joey was heading south to meet up with the Pharaoh. Malik gave him better directions to the canyon that linked the different landscapes. 

Joey explained the rebellion being formed in the forest. Rishid and Malik agreed to consider it, but then they parted ways. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh the end of this chapter is terrible.


	4. Chapter IV

Seto set down the hand-mirror, sitting up straight to stretch all the muscles in his back. He was nearly done, he could head back to Mokuba tomorrow. He’d known the separation so soon after their reunion would be a strain on his nerves. 

He hadn’t anticipated how much he would miss Joey’s presence. He had certain feelings for the blond he was working to bury thanks to the curse and his alternate memories. He just had to concentrate on his work for now. When everything was back to as it should be, he could see how it would turn out. But here, there was no time to spare. He had to get his brother home. 

He felt a familiar spark; the largest mirror on his table glowed and cleared to show him Mokuba. He pushed his work aside and pulled the mirror close, smiling gently. “Good morning.” 

“Hey Seto,” he greeted, sounding strained. 

Seto frowned slightly. “What’s the matter? Has something happened?” 

“Joey ran into some trouble yesterday,” Mokuba answered, sounding upset. “He snuck out before dawn to go meet up with Yami. He’s okay now, but... he almost wasn’t.” 

Anxiety twisted in Seto’s stomach. He wanted to ask what happened, but he sidestepped that concern. “Are you okay about it?” 

Mokuba gave him a confused sort of frown. “Of course I am. I mean... I’m worried about _Joey_.” 

He swallowed, fighting with the control over his expression. “You said he was fine now. Do you want to put him on so I can check what happened?” 

“He’s not here.” 

He felt his temper snap. “What?” He demanded. “Where the hell is he?” 

“I told you he was meeting up with Yami. He headed south to the desert.” 

Seto growled. “So not _only_ did he leave the protection of the panic room, he _also_ went directly past Bakura’s castle?” He clenched his fists. “I’m going to kill him.” 

“Seto don’t,” Mokuba begged, distressed. “Don’t joke about that. If it weren’t for the Ishtars...” 

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to push away the anger. “Have you spoken to him today?” 

Mokuba shook his head. “I caught a glimpse of him in something shiny, but he was too far away to hear me.” 

He growled angrily. “I told him to stay with you,” he replied. 

But _of course_ Joey had run off. He had never done well following orders. He might do something if asked, but not it was something he had strong disagreement with. 

Seto huffed a breath and massaged his brow. “Call Yami, make sure he’s keeping an eye out. I’ll finish my work up here and then come back to the shelter.” 

“You’re not going after Joey?” Mokuba asked, frowning. 

“You are my priority, Mokuba,” he answered. 

“I’m not in danger,” his brother protested. “I’m in the shelter and I’ve got Duke and Tristan around to protect me.” 

“Delvin and Taylor spent their last six months working for Bakura, they don’t exactly have my full confidence.” Devlin himself leaned into shot from behind Mokuba, giving him a frown. “I’m not going to apologise.” 

Devlin rolled his eyes and pulled back out of sight. 

“What if Bakura attacks Joey again? I don’t want him to get hurt.” 

“What would ease your mind, Mokuba?” Seto asked. “Joey is going to be with the Pharaoh soon. Yami is more than capable of protecting his friend.” 

“Since when do you call him Joey?” Devlin asked, pulling back into shot. 

“None of your business,” Seto barked back, glaring at him. “Do you mind?” 

“Can’t you go check on him, Seto? You’re closer and you’ve got... horses and stuff.” 

He groaned and massaged his brow again, brain ticking over equations. “That’s still a couple days journey south,” he pointed out. Something clicked in his mind and he sat back, humming. “I have an idea for something. Call me back in a couple hours.” 

His current project was tucked away in a leather satchel, while more of the alchemy materials around the room were pulled out of place. 

Just as he was making final adjustments, the mirror pulled at his magic. He smiled and turned the large mirror around to face him. “Just in time, Mokuba.” 

“In time for what?” His brother asked, confused. 

Seto smiled. “Just watch.” He took a few steps back and held up his arm in a familiar position that he hadn’t had cause to use for a few years. Instead of a card to lay down, he merely closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the monster he was summoning. 

The pull on his magic was much more draining than anything else had been so far, but when he opened his eyes the Blue Eyes was curled around him. It gave an affectionate rumble in greeting and he smiled, reaching out his hand to gently touch the scaled head. 

“Holy shit!” Mokuba cried from the mirror. 

Seto smirked, turning a look on the mirror. “Language, Mokuba.” 

“Seto you summoned a real-life blue eyes white dragon!” his brother replied. “I think a little swearing is acceptable.” 

“She should let me ride her. I’ll go find Joey and then I’ll come back to the shelter.” 

Mokuba laughed, delighted. “Have fun, bro!” 

* * *

Bakura watched Kaiba streak past on his dragon, expression blank. The door was silent as it opened. “I wondered when you’d come.” 

“I’m not returning to you.” 

He laughed bitterly, turning back to Malik, who stood in the doorway with a sharp dagger in hand. “Did you really think I would believe that you would?” 

“We want Isis,” Malik said, instead of acknowledging his words. 

He gestured to the mirror stood on his dressing table. “Take her. All she does is scream anyway.” 

An irritated look crossed Malik’s lovely, tanned face. “I want you to release her,” he demanded. 

Bakura just shrugged. “I can’t. I’ve told you I can’t modify the curse.” He stepped closer, pausing as Malik raised the dagger in warning. “It’ll have to be broken the old fashioned way.” 

“I broke it,” the Egyptian replied, stepping closer. 

Bakura laughed. “Not quite,” he replied. “Not just any True Love will do the trick. Everyone’s favourite pharaoh was the recipient of the curse. Only his.” 

“Then what did I do?” Malik demanded. 

The laugh that followed felt bitter in his mouth. “You loved me, Malik Ishtar. You _truly_ did.” 

“Shut up!” the blond shouted. 

Bakura turned away, striding back to the window. “I’m guessing because I was the instigator of the curse it... fractured somehow. Not quite broken, but enough to undo part of my revenge.” 

“What if it happened again?” Malik demanded harshly. “Would it break the spell fully?” 

Bakura turned back to him, his expression cold. “I doubt it even exists any more, Malik.” His lips turned up in a smirk. “Or does it frighten you more to imagine that it _does_?” 

“So what has to be done?” The blond demanded, ignoring Bakura’s insinuations. “Because I will see to it that your work is foiled.” 

He chuckled. “I’m hardly the best person to ask.” He quickly darted a hand at Malik, watching as his dirty workwear (much too large for him, probably Rishid’s own) was replaced by glittering chainmail and a purple surcoat. “But I’ll send you to the right place.” 

His shadows filled the palace, grabbing Malik, his brother, the mirror and the food he was trying to loot, and depositing them in the forest outside Kaiba’s protective barrier. 

The room was silent in their wake. He sat by the window to watch and wait. 


	5. Chapter V

“What are these?” Yami asked, turning over the small hand-mirror in his hands. 

“Communication mirrors,” Kaiba answered, stoic as ever. “I couldn’t get them to work exactly like cellphones, for now these only call back to the mirror at headquarters.” 

“That’s way more useful, though,” Joey pointed out. Blue eyes darted in his direction and he realised it was the first time he’d spoken to Kaiba since his dramatic arrival atop a duel monster. His voice must sound so rough. It sure hurt like a bitch from the coughing fit yesterday. 

For a moment, there was this intense look of worry in the blue eyes – that must’ve been King Set coming through. Kaiba wouldn’t worry about him like that… But he couldn’t shake the déjà vu that he’d seen that look somewhere before. After a moment, the gaze hardened and became another blank mask. 

He cringed and turned away. 

“How do I activate its special effect?” The pharaoh asked, peering at the mirror. 

“Press your thumb on the sapphire,” Kaiba explained, his eyes turning back to the shortest of them, “and concentrate on connecting. I find it helps to imagine a dialtone.” 

“I want to talk to Aibou,” Yami said, sounding like a spoilt child. 

“That will have to wait,” Joey said. “Let’s just concentrate on getting back to the shelter first.” 

The pharaoh huffed, unimpressed, and tucked the mirror into the folds of his skirt. He stood. “You may continue leading the way.” 

The imperious tone grated on Joey’s nerves, but he tried to calm his temper. Yami was always a little worse when he was separated from Yugi, and there had been six months without them seeing each other once. There was bound to be some regression back to the early days. 

Kaiba got to his feet as well. “I will see you both back at headquarters, then.” 

Joey felt a little burst of panic. It was mostly in his head now, since Malik had pulled all the darkness from his lungs. His lungs were _fine_ but he seemed to breathe easier when Kaiba was around. “You’re leaving us?” 

The look was almost... apologetic. “Mokuba’s stuck at headquarters with two of Bakura’s former lackeys. I’ve been away from him for long enough here.” 

Joey dropped his head down to hide his expression, knowing he couldn’t hide his emotions as well as the CEO. “Right. Mokuba comes first.” 

Kaiba’s tone was almost accusatory, “yes, he does. That will always be true.” 

Yami glanced between them, then made a surprised sort of sound. “I was not aware that the two of you had become lovers.” 

The yell he gave in protest was a painful squawk of a noise. “We’re not!” he cried, feeling his throat burn. “We’re not.” 

Kaiba sighed heavily and turned away. “If you’re quite done here, may I go?” 

“No,” Yami replied. “We’ve all watched you dance around each other in a bizarre mating ritual for two and a half years. At the very least you owe us the courtesy of information.” 

“We don’t owe you shit,” Joey protested, keeping his voice an angry whisper to try and ease his throat. 

“Not that there is a ‘we’,” Kaiba replied icily. “But it’s none of your business.” 

“All I wish to know is whether you two are involved or not,” Yami said, offended. “It seems your protestations are rather telling however. What was that spear shaker quote Yugi said...?” 

“Joseph Wheeler and I are not in a relationship.” 

Was it strange that the use of his name was so telling about Kaiba’s state of mind? Wheeler, or occassionally Joey, were the names Kaiba used--both reserved, the former a little more cold. Joseph Wheeler was what Set had called him, usually in response to being called Kaiba; it was warm and easy. Jou was... rare now. A name to be reserved for private moments, to slip out when Set was feeling tender. Or was it Kaiba? He rubbed his eyes. It was too confusing. 

“That,” Yami said slowly, “is not the full story.” 

“As much as you’re getting, oh great Pharaoh,” Joey said, trying to force some light humour into the conversation. 

Kaiba didn’t say another word. He crossed to the blue eyes dragon curled up by the riverbank and was soon afterward airborn. Joey, leftover from the tense conversation or from the mental panic about being away from Kaiba, felt his chest tighten. 

“Let’s go, Yami. We’ve got a long way to go.” 

* * *

Seto let the group admire the blue eyes for a few moments, then let the magic simmer down. She disappeared in a receding blue light, like a screensaver wipe. 

He turned, frowning at the group as he counted heads. “Why don’t we head in and you can catch me up on the progress of the past few days?” 

They headed inside, the seven of them crowded into the shelter, finding seats where they could. Mokuba ended up climbing onto the top bunk and Kaiba stood against the kitchen cupboard, watching them all silently. Miss Valentine and the two of Bakura’s former accomplices explained what they knew about the world they were in; the Ishtar brothers were conspicuously silent, but silent mystery was always their play. 

Seto could guess though--Malik had been dressed up as a knight and Rishid had the traces of coal dust behind his ears. They were close as any brothers, it made sense that Bakura would have separated them from one another. 

He wondered idly why he’d been let off so easily under the curse, but pushed the thought aside. 

He nodded when Taylor finished his explanation. He gave a quick, to-the-point summary of his own time here, then suggested they think about strategies. “We should wait until Joey and Yami get here to make a decision. Any sign from Ryou?” 

He wanted the ex-pharaoh’s input on their plans. Yami was the only one who had active memories of Bakura in his original life. Their adversary now wasn’t quite the same person, but he was closer to that than Ryou. 

Who was apparently tentatively coming to their headquarters, but hadn’t made any noticeable progress so far. 

He nodded. “This information will do for now.” He looked at the others, ignoring the various states of irritation he was putting them in. Set’s majestic voice was not that much worse than his cold business tone, they didn’t have to be so offended by it. “I’ll summon more beds,” he offered. Ishtar and his brother declined, preferring to stay outside in their tent than with the rest of them. Taylor and Devlin took the bunk bed, Mai the lone stretcher. Before he could think about creating another room, Mokuba volunteered them both for sleeping in the courtyard under the stars. 

Unable to distract himself now with plans, he went outside to summon two new camping stretchers and brood. Just inside the room shelter, he heard Mokuba’s enthusiastic greeting to Joey and his former adversary. The mirror was not loud enough for him to overhear, and he wouldn’t let himself be pathetic enough to magically enhance his hearing just so he could hear the blond’s voice. 

The two Ishtar brothers stepped out while Mokuba’s briefing continued on. He looked up at them, sat on the left bed. His nod of greeting received only blank looks of acknowledgement. That rankled him, though not enough to force conversation. He watched them leave, their clothes slipping into fantasy garments as soon as they left the barrier. 

He closed his eyes, sighing deeply and trying to relax. 

“It’s cold out here.” He glanced up and saw Mokuba standing by the tree hollow, the mirror tucked under his arm. 

“I’ll give you warm blankets,” he answered. He added, after a moment, “or I could cast a heating spell over the courtyard.” 

Mokuba didn’t answer, just nodded. To which answer he was agreeing, Kaiba couldn’t be sure. “Yami and Joey are traveling well,” he said, sitting down on the other bed. “They’re stopping for the night, but they should be here before ten.” 

“Good,” he said immediately. A pause, then, “we can begin our strategizing the sooner they get here.” 

Mokuba gave him an odd look. “You know you don’t have to lie to me, Seto. You can admit that you miss Joey.” 

He repressed the immediate denial that formed on his lips. He didn’t, after all, have to lie to his brother. “There is a part of me that misses Joseph Wheeler, yes,” he answered in a composed voice. “But that is not the utmost at present moment. Our focus – everyone’s focus – ought to be breaking this curse.” 

“Yeah, that’s still weird,” Mokuba said, lying down on the bed. 

Kaiba knew his brother meant the dichotomy between the mannerisms of his two different roles. Set did speak in a different way than he did. In essentials, however, they were the same. Bakura could not, after all, change his entire personality. Magic didn’t work like that. 

“Well, don’t worry about him Seto,” Mokuba said, smiling. It was reassuring. “He’ll be home tomorrow. You can see him for yourself.” 

Kaiba returned the smile. “Alright. Let’s get your bed better supplied.” 


	6. Chapter VI

Joey relaxed as the clearing came into view, the large tree in the centre melting away the last of his tension. Mokuba was still fast asleep, curled up under a pile of blankets on a stretcher. Kaiba was stood by a second bed, more sparsely made up, talking to Mai. 

He turned as soon as the two travellers stepped foot beyond the treeline. She followed the brunet’s line of sight, a smile crossing her face the moment she saw him. Her lips formed his name, but no sound came through the boundary of Kaiba’s protection. 

“Where’s Yugi?” 

Joey had almost forgotten that he was travelling with Yami for that moment. He sighed at the repeat of the question he had already heard a dozen times. “We’ll find out what they know soon,” he told the pharaoh. 

Yami gave him an impatient look, then strode toward the open courtyard. His Egyptian robes vanished as soon as he crossed over, becoming half his usual attire. Apparently he hadn’t had time to properly redress before he’d been overcome with Bakura’s curse. 

Joey followed him, feeling Kaiba’s eyes on him. Mokuba woke up at the noise and between the younger Kaiba, a Tristan who could now remember him, and the demands of Yami, it was some time before he found himself alone with the elder Kaiba. 

Mokuba had taken Yami outside to use the mirror to try and contact Yugi, with Mai on hand for her knowledge of the land. Duke had taken Tristan off to do he-didn’t-want-to-know shortly afterward, leaving Joey and Kaiba awkwardly silent in the panic room. 

He was just looking for some excuse to leave the room when he heard Kaiba’s voice talking to him. “Did you have another incident during the return journey?” 

He shook his head, feeling his face flush red at being addressed when he least expected it. “No, it’s fine,” he said quietly. His voice was still rough, but it wasn’t as painful to speak today. “You don’t have to worry, Kaiba.” 

The CEO shook his head, his expression grim. “I don’t _have_ to. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t, Wheeler.” He headed over to the rice cooker and started scooping several cups out. “Tomorrow we’ll start planning our next course of action.” 

“What are you doing?” Joey asked, frowning at him slightly. 

Kaiba blinked at him. “Putting rice on for everyone’s dinner?” He answered uncertainly. “What’s wrong?” 

The blond snorted. “Have you ever actually cooked rice in one of those before?” He came over and started scooping heaps of the rice back out. “It’s going to get like three times bigger. You’ve added way too much for the pot.” 

He folded his arms with a huff. “I don’t have the opportunity to cook often.” 

“I don’t know why I’m surprised,” he said. “You probably have a dozen fancy chefs to wait on your kitchen twenty four seven.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Kaiba said coldly. “I do not keep a dozen chefs. The kitchen at the mansion is well-equipped with the chef and his apprentice.” 

Joey just fixed Kaiba with a look. As far as he was concerned his point had well been proven. “Mokuba can cook better than you can,” he pointed out. “He said your ex taught him how to cook fried rice.” 

“The type of people who seek out a billionaire’s company generally have more time on their hands than the CEO of a multi-national gaming corporation.” He said. There was something in the way he was talking. Joey couldn’t quite put his finger on the feeling behind Kaiba’s words. 

“You don’t have to tell me,” he said, shrugging. “I worked for you before. I know the ridiculous schedule you keep. Set has more time off running a kingdom than you do running a company every day.” 

“For some reason the noble equivalents of my heads of department are much more self-sufficient here than they are in the real world,” the brunet drawled. “If I could get them to that level I wouldn’t _have_ to work so hard.” 

Joey snorted, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, right,” he replied. “You’re a control freak, Kaiba. They’ve probably be fine if you left them alone to do their own work once in a while. It’s not like your overseas offices collapse while you’re out of the country.” 

Kaiba gave him a frown. “I still monitor the progress of my offices while I’m out of town.” 

“Everything still runs without you, Kaiba,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You wouldn’t even know what to do if you had any free time. So you work too hard so you don’t have to find out.” He picked up the pot to carry into the bathroom to fill with water. 

The CEO stopped him before he could move and waved a hand over the pot in a circular motion. Joey felt the pot grow heavier and he looked down to see water filling up the cracks between the rice. 

“Show off,” he muttered. He set the put back into the cooker and set the lid on. He flicked the switch, watching it light up. 

“I know what I’d do,” Kaiba said softly. 

“Huh?” The blond asked, giving a confused frown. 

“With my free time. If I had any.” 

“Oh. Yeah, that.” He tilted his head at the other guy. “What’s that?” 

Blue eyes met him with intensity. There was a charged moment, the inhale of a breath before he was going to speak... 

And then Yami entered the room, making a lot of noise as he settled into a chair at the table and glared at them both. “We can’t see him,” he said angrily. “All we can see is that ugly dollhouse.” 

The moment was broken. Kaiba stepped away, straightened the sleeves of his business shirt and headed out to see Mokuba. 

Joey sighed after him, and then sat down to soothe the pharaoh out of his temper. 

* * *

“What do you mean he’s _inside the dollhouse_?” 

The demand for clarification had come from Jou. Atem had fallen silent, his face pulled into a furious anger as he glared at their newcomer. 

Ryou didn’t look phased by either of them. “You asked if I knew, and I told you. The dollhouse exists as a sort of containment for an alternate dimension. Inside, Yugi is as normal and continues a normal life—unable to leave the walls of the house. Except the house to us looks smaller.” He gestured to the tree around them. “Rather like this place.” 

“We never should have trusted you,” Atem said viciously. “You betrayed us in the most heinous of ways!” 

Set had quite enough of the argument now. “Atem,” he said in a regal tone, designed for corralling childish noblemen into acquiesce. “Each man has his own reasons for his actions. Do you not think that if Mokuba or I were given the opportunity to live amongst our parents again we would not do much worse things?” 

Atem’s expression was cold, but he nodded quietly. 

Jou, as he seemed to be doing often of late, looked uncomfortable as he turned his eyes away from Set. “So how do we let him out, Ryou?” 

The white-haired herbalist hummed. He had seemed more than uncomfortable at being there at all. “If Bakura followed my campaign plan—” 

“You did this with him?” Atem demanded, rising to his feet. “You planned this world for him!” 

“No, Yami,” Ryou answered coldly. “I built this world for a game, he stole it and filled it with his own characters.” 

“We are not characters!” Atem argued. “We’re are—” 

“Atem, enough.” Set levelled him with another glare. “Ryou is here to help us now, to give us the information we need to break the curse. If you’re going to keep interrupting, you’re welcome to wait outside.” 

The pharaoh fell silent, glaring mutinously but choosing to hold his tongue. 

“If he followed my plan,” Ryou repeated, then continued: “then you can open the dollhouse door and you will find yourself inside.” 

“That’s it?” Jou asked in disbelief. 

“…that simple,” the herbalist replied, sounding a little affronted. 

Jou sighed and went over to stand by the door, glaring out at the forest. “So… where do we find it?” 

“Well… I had it in the floating palace,” Ryou answered carefully. “But he’s not stupid enough to leave it where someone knows it should be.” 

“It’s not there,” Namu said. Every eye in the room, excepting his brother’s, turned to look at him. So far, neither of them had contributed to the discussions unless they were explicitly asked. “I’ve been everywhere in that palace. Not once did I see a dollhouse.” 

“Okay, so—here’s the plan,” Jou said decisively. “We find the dollhouse, then we storm the keep, bust in the dollhouse, let Yugi and Yami make out, we all go home, everything back to normal.” He turned and stared them all down. “Any objections?” 

“It’s… a good start,” Tristan said. “The basic gist of it anyway.” 

“Can I go now, then?” Ryou asked. “You have what you need from me.” 

“You’re not going to help?” Atem demanded. “After everything, you’re not going to help us break the curse?” 

“Atem,” Set growled. “Ryou can make his own decisions. He has helped us, and we can’t expect anything more out of him.” 

The pharaoh gave him a dark glare. He turned on his heel and strode out, the cape he was wearing as soon as he passed out of the barrier fluttering in the determined wind he made. Set watched him turn away, and the Kaiba part of him rolled his eyes and decided to let Yami sulk about it. 

He watched as Jou glanced around the room, sighed, and headed out after the pharaoh. He shook his head in disapproval and turned back to the rest of the group. “So how do we propose locating this dolls’ house?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the second bit of this chapter and onward we reach the point where I actually have to write. Characters are likely to come out different, plot focus might change since I can't remember all the details with what I was planning. Chapters will be much shorter. It will also take longer to post.


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